Heavy Metal, French Style: a Playlist in Honor of Bastille Day
know, I know, a lot of dead-end black metal losers promise that kind of void, but Antaeus were impressively intense and black-hearted to a mesmerizing degree."
"Behind the Husk of Faith," Arkhon Infaustus
Also sadly disbanded, Arkhon Infaustus combine the suffocating atmosphere of Antaeus with the churning uneasiness similar to where Gojira excels. This is supreme death metal, completely over the top and well-rounded. The band is not for the timid in any shape or form.
"Bread of Bitterness," Deathspell Omega
If the descriptions of the last couple bands seem to push the limits of hyperbole, well, that excess suits the music perfectly. So where to go next? Since emerging with its debut album in 2000, Deathspell Omega has pushed extreme metal into a dark new dimension altogether, orchestrating meticulous epic suites of avant garde expression that have been absorbed by rabid fans like self-contained philosophies discovered in ancient dusty leather-bound books. See for yourself.
"Printemps Emeraude," Alcest
Once poised on the cliff's edge of black metal, Alcest has cracked open a code of more beautiful hazy ethereal sounds. The band would hardly now be mistaken as metal at all if not for its lineage. Turns out, an entire generation of black metal fans has burnt the torches of anger too brightly and is now ready to follow something different.
"The Elves," Himinbjørg
Wrapping up this mini metal trek, Himinbjørg is France's entry in the viking metal genre. "French viking metal?" you ask. Yes indeed, the Normans of Normandy were descendants of Norse conquerers, and thus there's nothing odd at all about this kick ass band, and nothing to stop you from waving a flagon of French beer and screaming...
Viva La France!
|
|
